1999 Heppenheim Centgericht Riesling late harvest (Spaetlese), Hessische Bergstrasse, Germany
The production area is located in Hessen in Germany between the rivers Neckar, Rhine and Main in the protection of the Odenwald on the western slope of the Odenwald. The vineyards cover 467 hectares of vineyards along the Rhine. The Romans already cultivated wine here and laid out the "Via strata montana" (mountain road). The first documented mention was in 755 regarding the donation of a vineyard in Heppenheim
The mild climate prompted Emperor Joseph II (1741-1790) on his return from the coronation in Frankfurt to exclaim: "This is where Germany begins to become Italy. Due to early spring and late autumn there is a...
Germany, or rather the area that is now part of it, has a wine culture that is over two thousand years old. But even before that, imported wine was drunk, as evidenced by a Greek clay wine bottle from around 400 BC found in a Celtic grave. The oldest vineyards were on the banks of the Rhine, Neckar and Moselle. These rivers with their long valleys, as well as their tributaries, are still the classic wine-growing areas today. Viticulture was founded by the colonisation of Gaul by the Greeks and then brought to perfection by Roman culture. The conquest of Gaul by Julius Caesar (100-44 BC) brought Roman viticulture from the Rhône valley to the...
The white grape variety probably originates from Germany. There are more than 150 synonyms testifying to the great age and worldwide distribution of this vine in almost all wine-producing countries. The most important ones, grouped alphabetically by country, are Risling (Bulgaria); Edler Riesling, Gelber Riesling, Gräfenberger, Hochheimer, Johannisberger, Kleinriesling, Klingelberger, Rissling, Rüsseling, Weißer Riesling (Germany); Raisin du Rhin, Riesling Rhénan (France); Riesling Renano (Italy); Rajinski Riesling (former Yugoslavia); Rizling Rajnski (Croatia); Rislinoc...
